When He Can't Sleep At All
by Funkiechick
Summary: Pg-13 for swears. Hyde finds himself dealing with a sudden case of thoughtful insomnia, before Jackie comes to him in the night in need of comfort. Bad summery. =P Just read. Please! =D


When He Can't Sleep At All  
By Funkiechick  
  
(HI all! Yay, more fanfiction from me. I will update on my other 70's fic when I am out of this rut I've been in for about a month. But hey, this fic just might break it. Or just be a fluke. Anyhow, enjoy.)  
  
Hyde couldn't sleep.  
  
For some, this wouldn't exactly be considered a very big deal. But for Steven Hyde, it was. Hyde loved sleep. He cherished sleep. Which was also why he did so much of it during class.  
  
That and the fact he did not love nor cherish class.  
  
The fact was, Hyde couldn't sleep. So he knew something was up. The only times he could never sleep was when he felt overwhelmed, like a big emotion he didn't know how to handle was just laying in him, keeping him awake. Like the huge feeling of solidarity he had when Edna had left. He had been in his room, laying in bed and staring at the ceiling, being unable to fall asleep, and he just heard her walk by his room, and peak inside. Hyde didn't move, and she didn't turn the lights on, so Edna just left. He heard every bit of it.  
  
Thus, since Hyde couldn't sleep, he knew something was happening. Something was happening and it was something he should know about.  
  
He heard a thump, and for a second thought that someone had come downstairs. He listened for a few seconds, and then heard two more thumping sounds.  
  
It was the door.  
  
Hyde sat up, and ran his hands through his hair. Yep. He was right. There was a feeling. And now he was probably about to face whatever he had had a gut feeling about.  
  
He stood up, and sluggishly walked out of his room, yawning the whole way. Man, sleep deprevation? Not good. Never good.  
  
Was it raining outside, man? He could hear the pelting of water hit the windows and the roof. Whoever was knocking was insane to come outside in this. Another knock came from the door, and Hyde opened it. Yeah, it was raining alright. And the shivering person standing in front of him made him forget about all his sleep deprevation complaints and the cold wind and water whirring into the house.  
  
"...Jackie?"  
  
"Hi Steven."  
  
They just stood there and stared at each other. Jackie sighed, and looked over his shoulder at the warmth of the house, and soon Hyde caught on.  
  
"Jesus, Jackie! What are you doing?" He gently took hold of her wrists, and pulled her inside, closing the door behind her. "It's freaking FREEZING outside. And raining."  
  
"Yeah." Jackie nodded her head, and shivered. "I kind of noticed."  
  
Hyde knew something was up. He could tell. She wasn't doing anything, really. Just standing there, shivering. She had a little backpack slung over her shoulder, closed tight.  
  
"Jackie." Hyde said seriously. "Wha...never mind. Let's get you out of those wet clothes, man."  
  
"Ok." She nodded, and walked into the washroom, then looking back at him. "Steven-"  
  
"Just get changed, we'll talk when you're done."  
  
She stared at him, unnervingly, and then nodded, and went into the washroom to change. Hyde, sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Oh man...something was really wrong. He could see it in her, he could tell. Sometimes Jackie was like that. When something was wrong, she didn't always say something. Some wouldn't believe that, mainly because she spent so much of her time talking, but when it was something beyond that...she barely talked about it all.  
  
She was like Hyde in that way.  
  
And he was worried about her already. Not that he could say this. He just had to breath and wait for her to tell him why she was here, in the middle of the night, when it was pouring rain. And she had walked...  
  
Where was her car?  
  
Jackie came out then, and Hyde, despite the situation, couldn't help but grin when he saw she was wearing his Led Zeppelin tee, and a pair of tight fitting sweat pants. But then he saw her face, and all he could do was wish he knew what the hell to say...how did he ask what was wrong?  
  
She walked towards him, and wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face in his shoulder. Hyde didn't say anything, just enveloped her in his arms, and sighed.  
  
"Jackie..." Hyde said. "Why-"  
  
"Steven, can you just hold me for a few minutes?"  
  
Hyde didn't say anything. He obliged, but like she said, only for a few minutes. He had to know what was wrong. Why Jackie was suddenly acting like a scared and sad little girl.  
  
He pulled back, and looked at her, his hands holding her arms. She met his gaze with her own, a serious one, and this is when Hyde knew it had to be something that wouldn't go away for a long time.  
  
"Mom isn't back yet." Jackie said. It sounded odd, like she had never actually said the words. That she hadn't believed them until now. "Mom isn't back and Daddy is still in jail and we don't have anything. So I don't have my car, or my nanny...or the cook." She shrugged, and bit her lip. "Just me."  
  
"Shit." Hyde said simply, looking down at his feet. Why? Why couldn't he say anything? Why did he have trouble with the one thing she needed right now? "Jackie you...how long?"  
  
"Mom's been gone since summer. And dad...well, you know." Jackie looked up at the ceiling. "I guess she just doesn't want me."  
  
"Jackie, that's..." I shook my head. "I don't know what it is, but it's not you." I looked at the backpack she had left in the corner outside the bathroom. "How much did you pack?"  
  
"Just a toothbrush. And these." She fingered the shirt he gave her. "I don't know...it got unbearable." Her voice cracked on the last word, and Hyde took her hand in his and pulled her closer. "There's no one there, Steven. Nothing. I'm all alone. I mean, it wasn't like I saw Daddy much before but...but now he's actually gone. And mom doesn't want to come back..." She started to cry then, on the last word. Crying like a dam had broke.  
  
Hyde took her hand, and led her into his room, closing the door and then seating her down on the bed. He sat down next to her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she cried on his chest. He couldn't really say anything. There was so much to say, and yet he couldn't say it. Because the truth was, Jackie had been ditched. Jackie was alone. And he couldn't say it. He just held her because that was all he could do without saying what they both knew to be true.  
  
"Steven..." She whimpered. "Steven...can I sleep with you?"  
  
Well. Hyde looked at her in surprise. "What?"  
  
"I mean I just..." She sniffed, and her voice was trembling, still crying. "I can't stand it. Being alone over there. No one can hear me, no one is...can I sleep with you? In your room?"  
  
Hyde stared at her. She wasn't wearing any makeup, her hair was a wet, extremely curly mess, and her face was blotchy, and eyes red from crying. It was a part of Jackie that she wouldn't let anyone see. Except him. she was completely vulnerable. And Hyde couldn't believe that her mother and father just left her, alone. She was so small, and so easy to hurt.  
  
He wouldn't let that happen anymore.  
  
"Yeah, man." He nodded. "You'll stay here. I don't want you alone."  
  
He hadn't said much, but the look on her face indicated that he had said the world to her. She smiled a little, and hugged him tight around the waist. "Thank you Steven."  
  
"Like I'd say no, Jackie." He scoffed. "I mean, you look like a freaking drowned rat."  
  
She laughed a little. "And you always flip out when I cry."  
  
"No I don't."  
  
"Yes you do." She looked up at him and smiled through her tears. "What was that I heard in the car that one time? About how I'd find somebody great?"  
Hyde rolled his eyes, and turned away from her.   
  
She didn't say anything a moment, as Hyde helped her under the covers, and they snuggled into a comfortable position. Hyde was surprised by how easily their bodies fit together. How her head fit perfectly against his shoulder. How his arms wrapped around her body just right.  
  
It felt like they'd slept in the same bed together forever. Like some...married couple.  
  
Hyde shook that thought out of his head. God. She really made him go soft. And she knew it. He tightened his hold around her.  
  
"Steven?"  
  
"...Mmm?" He murmured into her hair.  
  
"I'm glad you're 'somebody great.'"  
  
Hyde didn't say anything for a second. Then he kind of grinned. "Yeah. Who would've thought?"  
  
"I'm glad you are."  
  
He was wordless at moments like this. It was one thing for her to trick him into calling her his girlfriend, or to playing back his words so he'd realize he'd called her 'cute'. But when she was serious...Well, when she was serious, he didn't know what to say. But right now, with them lying together in the same bed, her face still wet with tears, for some reason, he didn't want to hold anything back.  
  
"You know I am too, Jackie...and I'm not going anywhere."  
  
And that was all he had to say. But she didn't need to hear anything else. She turned herself around, and looked up at him as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He looked back at her, and she smiled. She still had eyes brimmed with tears. But he didn't say anything about them. Neither did she.  
  
"I wear this shirt to bed every night." She smiled, then kissed his neck. "It smells like you."  
  
When she talked like this, he knew exactly how to respond. He moved his head, and kissed her softly on the mouth. "Yeah?" He grinned after pulling away, his mouth still close to hers. "You look hot, man."  
  
"I look hot in everything."  
  
He snickered. "Right, how could I forget? You're a brat."  
  
She whapped his shoulder, and then snuggled into him. "You're a scruffy burn-out."  
  
He kissed her again, firmer this time. He ran his thumbs lightly on her arms, and then held her, the kiss growing more passionate.  
  
Then he pulled away. And she looked up at him, and he knew what she was about to say.  
  
"I love you, Steven."  
  
Great. There it was again. He kissed her on the forehead, hoping it was enough for the comment. Because he wasn't saying it back. "Good night, Jackie." She snuggled with him, holding him tight, and fell asleep instantly.  
  
Hyde however, didn't sleep at all.  
  
END   
  
(I hope you all caught the ending. How he couldn't sleep because he was overwhelmed with an 'emotion'. Hhhm, what emotion could it be? You all would not believe how mad at myself I am. I didn't take dance all this year because I had no time, so now I am getting flabby legs. And out of shape. GGRR. And I need new resume shots...anyway, I'm done ranting. See ya.) 


End file.
